The Truth Before Her Eyes
by Thief of the Four Winds
Summary: What was meant to be an ordinary, run of the mill day, turned into the biggest mission for all of Konoha.
1. A Village at War

Chapter 1- A Village at War

"Oleanders are so pretty," Ino thought to herself holding an oleander cautiously by the stem. She smiled at the small pink flower," I love how something so beautiful can obtain something so deadly. One taste of this can give you extremely horrific gastrointestinal and cardiac effects."

Ino loved being a medical ninja as much as she did a botanist. "If I'm going to do anything with this before I head out, I better do it quick," she murmured. Ino had already promised Choji that she would take him out to eat tonight since she had to bail on him for an important mission that required her medical assistance. After grinding up the flower and adding it to her toxin she had been making, she decided to close up shop.

"Ino!" It was Choji.

"Hey Choji; you ready," Ino asked, knowing her purse was going to be empty by the end of the night.

"Of course," Choji responded with a happy inflection in his voice. With that, Choji lead Ino to his favorite BBQ restaurant.

In between mouthfuls Choji managed to keep a fairly steady conversation. "Asuma-sensei is off on a mission again and Shikamaru is off yet again to the sand village to do who knows what!"

"He is off seeing his girlfriend Temari," Ino gossiped," he always does that; nothing ever changes."

Choji whined," It's sad we never get issued out as a team."

Ino nodded," We must be the worst team ever. We never train as a team; we never work as a team; we never act as a team. That's why I have been doing my own personal training. Not only do I do my physical training, I do my medical training, and have even been dabbling in poison-making as of late."

"Wow, you've stayed busy it sounds like," Choji said in amazement.

"I try; life is just getting too boring lately. It's not that I want anything terrible to happen, but everything has lost its luster. Missions have become simple and dull as well as all the rest of life. Sakura is off constantly doing who knows what, so I have even lost my only competition!"

"Eh... for once I don't feel that hungry anymore," Choji stated miserably pushing his plate away from him.

"Yeah, me either," Ino said standing up.

They both walked the streets together moping about. Choji's face lit up," How's about we ask Tsunade if there are any new missions we can do?"

"Guess it can't hurt, but its getting really late. I wonder if she will even be in her office," Ino replied.

As they were heading towards Tsunade's office, they saw Shikamaru and Sakura.

"Sakura! Shikamaru! What are you two doing back so soon," Ino said with a hint of excitement.

"All ninjas were called back to the Leaf Village. We were taken off our current missions," Sakura explained briefly.

"What? Why?" asked Choji.

"Tsunade's orders." Shikamaru blatantly responded," Not like we had much of a choice anyways."

Ino looked around and saw many of the Leaf Village ninjas starting to gather. The Konoha 11, excluding Naruto and Sasuke, were gathered as well as their leaders. Mumbles and whispers buzzed through the air. Everyone wanted to know why they were all called together.

Tsunade walked out onto her balcony," Everyone, I am sorry for interrupting those who were on missions and calling you back on such short notice and for those who were not. There is only one reason why you are all gathered here tonight. We are forced to play a risky game that could destroy everything we hold dear if we do not play it right. The Akatsuki has a new leader, our former Sasuke Uchia, and a new agenda. Although I cannot explain this to all of you in great detail, I will be informing all of the team leaders on our next mission that we will all being starting tonight." With that, all the Jonin leaders followed Tsunade inside.

Ino looked around carefully at everyone and picked up on a sense of anxiousness.

"Sakura," Ino called," we need to talk. Now." She grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her aside from the crowd.

"What Ino?"

"Tell me everything that has been going on. Where is Naruto? And is it true Itachi died? What do you know about Sasuke? Spill everything billboard-brow."

Sakura stared at her a bit, thinking how she should approach her slew of questions.

"I cannot tell you everything, but as far as I'm aware, Itachi is dead. Sasuke is not the same kid we once knew either. He would have no problem killing any of us; he might actually enjoy killing us. He's a monster, but a powerful one at that, I even question if we can bring the Akatsuki down along with him. But I am surprised to hear he would challenge us so soon, he has only been their leader for a short period of time. He must feel pretty confident in his abilities."

Asuma walked up at the end of Sakura's sentence," Ino, its time."


	2. A Clan Untold Secrets

"Ino, its time."

At Asuma's appearance, Sakura looked around for her own Jonin Kakashi, leaving the conversation. Ino directed her attention to Asuma, mind whizzing from the information Sakura detailed.

_Sasuke? Would he really go so far as to attack his home village?_

"Alright," Asuma pronounced to his reassembled team, "we are the "Intel" team. We are traveling to the Hidden Sand to relay the message to Kazekage that the Akatsuki is on the move. From there, we are to gather information on the whereabouts of the Akatsuki and possibly a way to direct the war away from the Hidden Leaf."

_This is serious. I need to consult father, _Ino thought, _I think this is the time to break the seal on our family's secret jutsus. _"Asuma-sensei, I need to return home before we leave. Its imperative to the mission that go, I promise!"

Asuma glanced at Ino questioningly, "Well, everyone use this time to prepare for our mission, we will meet back at the village main gates." The four split.

Ino walked into her house, "Father, where are you?"

_No response_.

The blonde searched all through out the house with no luck finding Inoichi. Pushing aside her desire to continue looking for him, she walked over to her family's shop. Going to the back room located behind the check-out counter, Ino crouched down to the floor, "where is it? Ah! Here!" Ino began to uproot a secret panel in floor. Underneath, there was a seal binding the passage close. Pulling a strand of her long blonde hair, Ino placed it on top of the seal. She proceeded to perform multiple indistinguishable hand-signs due to her rapidity. Finally she slammed her hands onto the seal, opening the passage for her to crawl into.

Once in the room, Ino noticed her father standing in front of the vault filled with the scrolls of her family's secrets. The dim lit room made it almost impossible for her to see Inoichi.

"Father? What are you doing?"

"I knew you would come here Ino…I didn't want you to come," Inoichi whispered slowly.

"What, why not?"

"This vault holds the death of the Yamanaka clan…Ino, do you know why these scrolls have been locked away for so long?"

"No father."

"Seven generations ago, our clan made a name for itself because of these jutsus. It put us in complete control of a person's controller-their mind. Some jutsus have the power of joining minds to gain their knowledge and decipher any questionable motives of a person, while others could control their emotions, filling them with anger or contentment, sadness or joyfulness. There are even those that can rewrite a person completely by reconstructing their memories by adding or destroying them. Through these jutsus, we crafted a monster, completely annihilating the meaning of truth. We simply could weave our own desires into the minds of others and have them convinced that this 'new-found inspiration' was original."

"Then the only problem I see with these is a lack of self-control! If one uses these techniques in only times of need and with set morals, then there isn't a problem."

"Wrong Ino, there is also another downfall to these spells. When you use these jutsus, your own mind suffers too. This price for superiority was needed, although our clan hardly heeded its consequences. Many of our member were driven into mental insanity since so much of their own consciousness was forfeited."

The room went silent for a moment, allowing Ino to grasp the gravity of what her father was telling her.

_Using these jutsus will drive me insane? Great, that's exactly what i needed to hear! _Ino proceeded to ask, "Then what am I going to do father? I need to use these jutsus to bring down the Akatsuki…without them I will be useless to my team."

"I have already considered this, that is why I am binding you to an oath…an oath written in blood which can never be undone. Ino through this pact you will gain the ability to use these techniques, but failure to abide by these guidelines I have set will end with serious repercussions. Promise me daughter that you will not fail to make me proud. Hold up our good name, and more importantly hold yourself above any temptations."

"Of course father!"

"Then I will trust your judgement. I will bind you to only a few rules, so are you ready?"

"Yes."

Pulling out the largest scroll, Inoichi unravelled it. "Sign this Ino," directed her father, "in blood."

Ino bit her finger and wrote her name on the scroll. Her father was beside her putting various seals, limiting her abilities, "Ino, as you further your dedication to the clan, I prohibit you, through these seals, to use these abilities to further yourself in selfish ambition, aide those who seek destruction and ruin, and affect any person entirely without noble cause. With these restrictions, I grant you the powers of the Yamanaka clan!"

Facing his daughter, Inoichi commanded, "Face me Ino, and close your eyes."

She did as she was told, only to feel her father's palm on her forehead. Suddenly, Ino felt a surge of knowledge burst into her brain. The multiple jutsus became second-hand knowledge to Ino in only a matter of minutes. Her head throbbed violently, like a pressure that needed release, although the knowledge was settling into her mind. As her father ended the transfer of knowledge, he smiled, "There you are Ino. You might not specifically be able to specify a particular juts at this moment, but in time you will. Now go Ino, you must meet up with your team."

Ino grabbed her father into a hug, almost crying, "I love you father. And I will return for you as soon as possible!"

"I know you will Ino, and I love you too."

It pained Ino to leave her father alone since her mother had only passed a year ago, leaving no immediate family to take care of him. He was all that she had and he was only getting older. Waving, Ino left the shop, running to the front of the village.

"Ino…Ino…Do you sense me Ino?" Inoichi asked Ino telepathically.

"Father! Is that you?"

"Yes Ino, I was going to let you know that I will be able to communicate to you wherever you go. I cannot read your mind, but there is an open communication between us to keep in contact and update one another. I will try not to communicate with you unless its an emergency and at night so I don't distract you from your mission."

"Okay, thanks father. I appreciate it." Ino communicated feeling relieved that her father wouldn't feel lonely any longer.

Finally reaching the front gate, Ino noticed her team waiting on her.

"Alright," Asuma breathed," its time to leave then.


End file.
